ELEKTRA: THE OFFICIAL MOVIE ADAPTATION ADVANCE REVIEW

[Andrea Speed]

Reviewer: Andrea Speed andy@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Fair, but damn pricey

Elektra is given an assignment that triggers a change of heart.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/151/elekmovie1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/151/elekmovie1.jpg" align="left" border="0"> </a>Writer: Sean McKeever
Based On: A story by Zak Penn, Stu Zicherman & Raven Metzner; and a screenplay by Zak Penn
Pencils: Mike Perkins
Inks: Drew Hennessy
Colors: Sotocolor's J. Rauch
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Randy Gentile
Bizarre Adventures 28 Written & Illustrated By: Frank Miller
Letters: Jim Novak
Editor: John Barber
Publisher: Marvel



Review: Movie adaptations are rarely very good. It’s no fault to the writer of the adaptation, and sometimes it’s not even the fault of the scriptwriters - for instance, the X2 movie adaptation was based on an earlier incarnation of the script, meaning the ending was totally different than the actual end of the finished film. I found the adaptation of the Punisher script, by Peter Milligan, hilarious, but unintentionally so: Milligan did an excellent job streamlining the script, but the script was so chock full of action movie clichés it would have made a great comedy.

Clichés of a similar variety haunt the Elektra movie, it seems. Certainly none of us have heard the one about the assassin given a job that they balk at doing, deciding instead to save the very charges they were supposed to kill. Mix in a couple of martial arts movie clichés and some vague supernatural elements, and there you go - a movie. Not one I’m going to run out and see, or even rent, but then again, I didn’t like Daredevil either.

McKeever does a fine job adapting the script, cutting out a lot of extraneous bits and sticking to the main story, but the main script is flawed enough that the movie will only succeed on the strength of the actor’s charisma. If they can sell this well, it might be a half decent mindless action flick, but we won’t know that until the final reel.

To plump up this issue and justify it’s $5.99 (U.S.) cover price (no, I’m not kidding), there’s a couple of classic Bill Sienkiewicz pin ups; ones by Greg Horn and Frank Miller; a brief interview with the main cast and director; a history on the sai by writer Akira Yoshida; an Elektra fact file; and - best of all - a reprint of a short black and white Elektra story that appeared in Bizarre Adventures #28, written and illustrated by Frank Miller. It’s only nine pages long, but has a nasty bite to it that the movie script never succeeds in capturing. Then again, Miller at his best can be extremely hard to top.

The adaptation art by Perkins is among the best I’ve seen him do. Elektra often looks like Jennifer Garner, and while the inks sometimes seem a bit heavier than necessary, the art is pretty straightforward and does the job it needs to do. The coloring by Rauch is rich and good, but skews towards darkness. (Which, again, may be a consequence of the inking.)

Elektra fans - or Jennifer Garner fans - may like this best of all. Does it justify the six buck price tag? Well, that’s between you and your wallet. (That Miller story isn’t worth six dollars, I’m sorry - but it is the thing I recommend.)





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Buy this issue online now from X-World and Save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=89&cat=ELEKTRA)

[artemisn]

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought an Elektra movie would be a great idea. Seriously, didn't her last ongoing show us that there isn't much to her character.

[Walt Kneeland]

The prices on the various books are becoming a rather serious issue for me, as I have cut and soon will cut more titles largely because of the price.

And even though it's a special...I have TPBs in my posession that were the same price as some comics today! I paid $3.95 for "Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying" and "Batman: A Death in the Family"; "The Death of Superman" was $4.95. I think "Robin: A Hero Reborn" was also $4.95...

So I hear ya on the price...for $5.99, something's gotta be VERY impressive before I pick it up. Or be collected into a cheaper trade. (Back in 2000, I picked up the TPB of the X-Men movie prequels rather than singles--and I THINK I saved $3ish going the TPB route there).

Ah well. As you say...this one'll be more for specific fans.

I plan to see the movie, though...saw the trailer when I went to "National Treasure" last week, and it looks "decent" enough.

~Walt
PS: Decent enough for a "matinee" show. Not paying evening prices for this one. ;)

[roguestorm]

Originally posted by artemisn
I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought an Elektra movie would be a great idea. Seriously, didn't her last ongoing show us that there isn't much to her character.


the movie hasn't even "bombed" yet to warrant a remark such as an elektra movie being a bad idea. and judging from the high sales of her minis it further validates the fact that elektra can hold her own movie.

[Walt Kneeland]

Maybe it's the hour, maybe it's...something else...

But at the VERY LEAST...this movie looks a LOT better than last summer's "Catwoman."

I'm glad they're at least keeping to the character--that the character in the movie is INTENDED as the movie counterpart to the already-established comic character (regardless of some tweaks and changes to 'continuity' and such).

At the moment, for lack of other particularly stand-out films, this movie's the next one on my hit-list: I'm looking forward to the 14th, to see this movie. And then mid-February for Constantine.

...and it is now thoroughly past my bedtime. (here I am, sounding old 'n stuff...) ;)

~Walt
(24...almost a year until the "quarter-of-a-century" jokes start a-flyin'....) :D

[artemisn]

Originally posted by roguestorm
the movie hasn't even "bombed" yet to warrant a remark such as an elektra movie being a bad idea. and judging from the high sales of her minis it further validates the fact that elektra can hold her own movie.


Some characters are supporting characters- Elektra is such. The only way this movie does well is that nothing else is released at the same time. And yes, I do consider this to be a bad idea- there is no depth to this character- she's about as generic as you can go. Let's look at the premise- an assassin turns good- hmmm... been there, seen that.

[Walt Kneeland]

Originally posted by artemisn
Some characters are supporting characters- Elektra is such. The only way this movie does well is that nothing else is released at the same time. And yes, I do consider this to be a bad idea- there is no depth to this character- she's about as generic as you can go. Let's look at the premise- an assassin turns good- hmmm... been there, seen that.

point taken. I can agree with that--some characters are very much supporting cast, and do little else, or don't have enough to their story to warrant solo projects (comics, movies, whatever).

But *I* think (this is just MY opinion) that if we quantify that with "well-written" and such, it can make a supporting character a front-runner. The Punisher started out as the latest villain-type in Amazing Spider-Man, and has since 'graduated' to several ongoings...

....yet, perhaps that says the opposite of what I'm trying to say, since he hasn't maintained a single (or multiple) ongoings through the years.

Robin.

There's an example! ;)

Robin starts out as "just" a sidekick, but through many years and proper handling, we've wound up with Nightwing, as well as the Tim Drake Robin--who has lasted more than 130 issues for an on-going, plus 3 mini-series...

---------------

I disliked the concept of the Catwoman movie--the costume was atrocious and ridiculous, the character changes were vast--it wasn't even "Selina Kyle", and they admitted that one up front, that it's a whole new character...

As to Elektra, I'm looking at it as fleshing the character out (no pun intended!) and adding to the backstory. Not quite sure if it's set completely before, completely after, during, or some combination in terms of the Daredevil flick, but I do imagine that after I see this one, I'll have a better understanding of the MOVIE character (even if not the original/source/comic character), and perhaps it'll add to my enjoyment of the DD flick...

...and this is really quite a morning of rambling for me.

I hope everyone has a great new year!

~Walt

[artemisn]

Originally posted by Walt Kneeland
point taken. I can agree with that--some characters are very much supporting cast, and do little else, or don't have enough to their story to warrant solo projects (comics, movies, whatever).

But *I* think (this is just MY opinion) that if we quantify that with "well-written" and such, it can make a supporting character a front-runner. The Punisher started out as the latest villain-type in Amazing Spider-Man, and has since 'graduated' to several ongoings...

....yet, perhaps that says the opposite of what I'm trying to say, since he hasn't maintained a single (or multiple) ongoings through the years.

Robin.

There's an example! ;)

Robin starts out as "just" a sidekick, but through many years and proper handling, we've wound up with Nightwing, as well as the Tim Drake Robin--who has lasted more than 130 issues for an on-going, plus 3 mini-series...

---------------

I disliked the concept of the Catwoman movie--the costume was atrocious and ridiculous, the character changes were vast--it wasn't even "Selina Kyle", and they admitted that one up front, that it's a whole new character...

As to Elektra, I'm looking at it as fleshing the character out (no pun intended!) and adding to the backstory. Not quite sure if it's set completely before, completely after, during, or some combination in terms of the Daredevil flick, but I do imagine that after I see this one, I'll have a better understanding of the MOVIE character (even if not the original/source/comic character), and perhaps it'll add to my enjoyment of the DD flick...

...and this is really quite a morning of rambling for me.

I hope everyone has a great new year!

~Walt


Point taken, Walt. Robin is an excellent example. However, I think Robin and Nightwing both are 3 dimensional characters with strong distinct personalities. Can the same be said for Elektra? I don't know- maybe it's me- but I have yet to see Elektra written as a developed character. Maybe the movie will do this- I wish them the best of luck. But I'll wait to see what the reviews say.

[Andrea Speed]

Well, I can say while there's flashbacks to her past, the comic adaptation indicates the movie takes place after the Daredevil film.

[PinchyWearO]

Originally posted by artemisn
Point taken, Walt. Robin is an excellent example. However, I think Robin and Nightwing both are 3 dimensional characters with strong distinct personalities. Can the same be said for Elektra? I don't know- maybe it's me- but I have yet to see Elektra written as a developed character. Maybe the movie will do this- I wish them the best of luck. But I'll wait to see what the reviews say.

Bah, "reviews."

I wouldn't write off a movie about a "supporting" character. I thought the original Blade film was excellent...and added more "development" of the character than comcis had done in 20 years. It all depends how the material is approached and executed.

I'm waiting for the Sue Dibney movie...I mean, she did "lead the JLA for awhile" hahahahahahahaha

-Pinch